IN SOUTH AMERICA, THE NORTH-WEST OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE ANTILLES, IN THE YEARS 1812, 1816, 1820, & 1824, WITH ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PERFECT PRESERVATION OF BIRDS, &c. FOR CABINETS OF NATURAL HISTORY. BY CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. FOURTH EDITION. LONDON: B. FELLOWES, LUDGATE STREET. M DCCC XXXIX. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. I OFFER this book of "Wanderings" with a hesitating hand. It has little merit, and must make its way through the world as well as it can. It will receive many a jostle as it goes along, and perhaps is destined to add one more to the number of slain, in the field of modern criticism. But if it fall, it may still, in death, be useful to me; for, should some accidental rover take it up, and, in turning over its pages, imbibe the idea of going out to explore Guiana, in order to give the world an enlarged description of that noble country, I shall say, "fortem ad fortia misi," and demand the armour; that is, I shall lay claim to a certain portion of the honours he will receive, upon the plea, that I was the first mover of his discoveries; for, as Ulysses sent Achilles to Troy, so I sent him to Guiana. I intended to have written much more at length; but days, and months, and years, have passed away, and nothing has been done. Thinking it very probable that I shall never have patience enough to sit down and write a full account of all I saw and examined in those remote wilds, I give up the intention of doing so, and send forth this |